Sinking the 8 ball

12/9/2011 4:54:38 AM

Sinking the 8 ball

was playing a mate the other day. i was on the black ball already & he had 1 remaining. he hit the 8 ball to sink his remaining ball giving me 2 shots. does he have to nominate his pocket before i have my shot?

What if on your last shot before the eight ball you call your shot and make it but then the cue ball rebounds and hits in the eight ball what happens then, is that still a legal sinking of the eight ball?

Following are some step that would help you in knowing how to sink the 8 ball
1. Put the cue ball in the right spot
2. Keep your cue stick as level as you can
3. Hit the cue ball a little bit below its equator

He doesn't need to nominate pocket before shot. Nomination for the pocket occurs only before making stroke for 8 ball and if it falls into any other pocket other than nominated pocket then foul occurs.

Around here, which is in the middle of nowhere, all shots must be called.

Yes, I've played 8-ball where no call is required on everything but the 8-ball, but called shots is the norm, not the exception. Then too, every bar and local joint has their own sets of 8-ball rules - in addition to - or totally at odds with - generally accepted rules. The nuances are endless.

Which is why I go to bars to drink or watch a football game on TV - only. Shooting casual pool in a bar is not for the faint of heart. League play? Whole different scene. Whole different crowd.

On the other hand, when shooting at a bar and especially at a bar with unknown rules, I ask before a shot what the rules on that shot might happen to be. This saves grief down the road.

But, I cannot remember a single game I have lost because someone "threw" an opaque rule at me. I allow them the rule, let them take a turn, then turn up the intensity so that they get no second chance.

So, I agree with you that bars are for really casual pool, but when someone throws a strange rule at me, I make them pay for it. So in essence I play on bar tables at about 30% of my play capacity, which makes it fun for the average good bar player.